Quick & Natural Ways To Stop Cats From Spraying And Attract Them To The Litter Box Fast!12/27/2023 Are you a cat parent struggling with your furry friend's spraying habits? Understanding and resolving this behavior is crucial for a harmonious home. This guide offers effective, humane strategies to deter your cat from spraying and encourage litter box use, ensuring a happy, healthy environment for both of you. Understanding Why Cats Spray: Spraying is a natural behavior for cats, often linked to marking territory, stress, or health issues. Identifying the cause is the first step to addressing it. Is your cat feeling anxious? Are there changes in your home environment? A visit to the vet can rule out any medical concerns. 1. Create a Comforting Environment: Cats thrive in a stable environment. Minimize stress by maintaining a consistent routine and providing a safe, quiet space for your cat. Comforting items like a favorite blanket or toy can also help. 2. Clean Soiled Areas Thoroughly: Cats are likely to respray areas with lingering odors. Clean any sprayed spots with an enzyme cleaner specifically designed to neutralize pet odors. This reduces the chance of repeat incidents. 3. Use Feline Pheromone Diffusers: Pheromone diffusers mimic the natural pheromones of cats, creating a calming effect. Placing these around your home can help reduce stress-related spraying. 4. Positive Reinforcement: When your cat uses the litter box, offer praise or a treat. Positive reinforcement encourages repeat behavior. Avoid punishment for spraying, as it can increase stress and worsen the problem. 5. Provide Multiple Litter Boxes: If you have more than one cat, ensure each has its litter box plus one extra. Keep these boxes in quiet, accessible locations and clean them regularly. 6. Consult a Veterinarian or Animal Behaviorist: For persistent issues, professional advice can be invaluable. They can help uncover potential medical issues and offer tailored strategies based on your cat’s specific needs. Conclusion: Dealing with a cat that sprays can be challenging, but with patience and the right approach, you can guide them back to good litter box habits. Remember, understanding and empathy are key in this process. Comment below to share your success stories or tips on how you guided your cat back to the litter box using these natural methods!
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If your cat is pregnant or you’ve come upon a foster or stray cat who may be expecting, you might wonder how long cats stay pregnant. How long cats are pregnant can vary, but is usually about the same general average. Learn how long your cat should stay pregnant for, as well as how to help your cat get through all five stages of cat pregnancy. How to Tell When Your Cat Got Pregnant Before knowing how long your female cat should stay pregnant, you first need to know when the pregnancy occurred. You can figure this out in multiple ways. If your cat was purposefully mated (not recommended unless you are a professional cat breeder), then you should know the time period in which your cat became impregnated. Other ways to tell involve knowing when your cat was in heat and/or when she may have mated without your knowledge or by accident. If you are observant of your cat, these will be obvious. Queen (female) cats can actually be impregnated by multiple tomcats (males) at the same time if all of them were successfully mated with during the same heat cycle. Therefore, cats born in the same litter can potentially have different fathers. Should I Mate My Cat? Most cities have laws requiring a female cat to be spayed (and a male cat neutered) once they reach a certain age, but there are exceptions or instances in which this doesn’t happen, such as an illness that guards against spaying, the cat is not yet old enough, or you came upon an already-pregnant stray, and so on. Also, licensed professional breeders are able to mate cats. Cats can get pregnant as early as 4 months of age, even though many don‘t get their heat cycles until 6 months and are not spayed until this stage. (Scroll to keep reading) How Long Are Cats Pregnant For? Assuming you know when your cat became pregnant, she should be pregnant for about 58 to 72 days on average. Different experts will give different dates. This is the average between those dates. If you are unsure, pay attention to the five stages of cat labor to estimate when your cat might deliver and how many days might be left in your cat’s pregnancy. A pregnant cat should also be taken to the vet to ensure a healthy pregnancy. The vet will be able to tell you a more accurate number, regarding when your cat might deliver. Cat Pregnancy Stage One: Fertilization This is the stage when your queen successfully mates with one or more tomcats. You may or may not be aware of the exact timing of this stage, depending upon the circumstance. Spaying and neutering cats can help responsible pet parents take as much control over this situation as possible. As soon as your cat is 6 months of age, she should be spayed. But if you’re learning about how long cats are pregnant, you may already have missed this window and have a pregnant cat. Cat Pregnancy Stage Two: Early Cat Pregnancy Stage two of your cat’s pregnancy is when you should notice there is something going on with your female cat. Your queen may experience morning sickness during her pregnancy and this is the stage when that would appear. You may also visibly notice her appetite increasing after her nausea subsides. It is perfectly normal for her to eat less in the very beginning when her morning sickness is at its worst. By the third week of pregnancy, this should give way to that appetite increase. It is also during this third week that you might notice lumps (kittens) forming and be able to feel them. Cat Pregnancy Stage Three: Middle Cat Pregnancy During the middle stage of a cat’s pregnancy (week 4 and on), she will start to gain weight much more visibly. By the end of this stage, it will be difficult not to tell she is expecting a litter of kittens. They will be moving around and you can feel (and even see) them do it! Your cat’s vet may suggest a radiographic x-ray or an ultrasound to take a look at the kittens, as well as to count how many there are. The vet will know which of these is best for your cat and for her unique situation. (Scroll to keep reading) Cat Pregnancy Stage Four: Pre-Labor When estimating how long your cat should be pregnant, it is also important to know the signs of pre-labor. This will help ensure you and your cat are prepared when she delivers her kittens. In the week prior to active labor, your cat will start looking for hiding places to have her kittens. A pregnant cat can be picky on where she has her babies, so don’t be upset if she doesn’t choose the spot you created. It will be easier if she does, but is not required. The most important thing is that your pregnant cat is happy and calm during labor. Watch where she goes and try to place nesting boxes in those places. In telling how long your cat will be pregnant, you can also observe your cat’s appetite. She may stop eating a couple days prior to labor. This should alert you to how many days are left in your cat’s pregnancy. Cat Pregnancy Stage Five: Labor & Delivery This is the stage when your cat is in active labor and birthing her kittens. You may or may not be present for this, as many cats prefer to do this in hiding. If your cat wants help, she will ask you by coming to you or yowling for you during. In the instance that you get to witness this, signs of labor in your cat include licking genitals, pacing, breathing hard, noises of discomfort, acting anxious, and more. It should be obvious what is going on, but if not, it will be when the first kitten arrives! (Scroll to keep reading) Preparing Your Cat for the Birth of Kittens You should begin preparing your cat for labor and delivery around the early stages of cat pregnancy to be sure your cat knows where to potentially go. If you do not know when your cat became pregnant, but you are seeing the signs, it’s best to help your cat prepare for the birth early. You should also take your cat to the vet right away to make sure her and her kittens are doing well. Prep your cat with a safe hiding place equipped with a comfy box and soft blankets. She may or may not choose your spot but you can try to convince her by showing her as many times as necessary and staying away from the spot so that she knows she is safe. Most cats prefer to labor alone. However, when the time comes, if she does want you to help, it will be obvious. You will also need some emergency birthing supplies, as well as your vet’s phone number handy, in case of emergency. In most cases, your queen should be able to handle everything herself. But in the event she does not, ask your vet for a cat-safe antiseptic. You should also have scissors for the umbilical cords, surgical gloves for any handling of the mom or kittens during labor delivery, dental floss for ties, sterile eye-droppers in case aspiration of eyes, nose, and mouth is needed, clean towels, and kitten milk replacer (just in case your mom cat is unable to nurse the babies or refuses to) with kitten bottles. Once you have figured out how long your cat should be pregnant, there is some prepping to do. You should also buy extra food! Beyond the preparation and getting your cat to the vet, once your pregnant cat has her babies, enjoy! Also, be sure to talk to your vet about proper kitten care and rehoming procedures. You should now know a bit more about how long your cat will be pregnant, the stages of her pregnancy, and what to expect. Now, relax, get to the vet, and enjoy loving on your pregnant queen! I originally wrote and published a version of this here on 9/4/2019 that has since been removed and rewritten to create this updated version.
JACKSONVILLE, FL (Westside)
A beloved pet and popular shop dog has gone missing in the Westside area of Jacksonville. She's a Husky mix with two different colored eyes - one blue, one brown. Her name is Sadie and she is microchipped. Her owners have been frantically checking shelters, vet offices, and animal rescue organizations for any sign of their missing dog Sadie, as well as checking with neighbors and more. Sadie is very loved and very missed and has been away from her family since last Wednesday. If you think you have seen Sadie, know who has, or have any information at all, please contact Sadie's family at 904 651 3310. This message is from the shop owners and owners of Sadie at 904 PowderWorx: PLEASE SHARE AND KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR MISS SADIE… Do you really need the FURminator deShedding Tool for Dogs and the optional FurVac Vacuum Accessory? Is it worth it? Velma says yes! We recently made a small investment in our dog Velma, who has thick fur that sheds during multiple seasons. She's currently undergoing one of those major sheds. Choosing The Tool The FURminator deShedding Tool for Dogs can be used on its own and actually works wonders. We chose the medium and long hair options. You can choose from either long or short hair. The sizes are XS, S, M, L, and Giant. Getting Started Our dog Velma was adopted from a shelter and has some anxiety and other issues that often prevent normal tasks. So, we took it easy on her, with it being a new experience. Because of this, we tried it without the vacuum attachment first just to know what we were dealing with and to see how Velma did. Why We Chose The Vacuum Accessory Tool In just one brush across a small section, a ton of excess fur was pulled! Velma actually enjoyed it and kept asking for more, so I went ahead and gave her a good brushing. This led to a giant pile of fur that I then had to sweep up. This is where the FURminator Professional Pet Products FurVac Vacuum Accessory comes in! While all the fur is coming off, the attachment helps contain it all so that it isn't all over the place. Because Velma gets a bit skittish at loud noises, I really wasn't sure if the vacuum accessory was right for her. But I decided to try anyway, as I felt it would make the tool more effective since she's got tons of fur. Velma Loves Both the Tool and Accessory! So, did Velma run away? Well, she didn't exactly like the vacuum sound at first but because she wasn't freaking out, I decided to try the tool with her lying down in a comfy spot with lots of blankets. To my surprise, she actually gave me lovey eyes and cooperated, even rolling over to show her belly so I could get that area too! Success! Watch the video below to see a glimpse at just how much Velma enjoyed the FURminator experience with the aid of both the deShedding Tool for Dogs and the FurVac Vacuum Accessory. Video © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved Based on Velma's reaction, we will be using this tool whenever it's necessary to help Velma out. She was extremely happy afterward. I bet it feel so good to get rid of that excess fur. We think all dog parents with a shedding dog should use both of these tools together. The price is low and the reward (a VERY happy doggy) is high! Have you tried the Furminator deshedding tools? Plan to? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and share with friends if you like what you see! * The author has no relationship with the brand/s or products/s listed in this article. This review is honest and based on a product or products purchased by the writer of their own volition. We do receive compensation from being in the Amazon Associates program if a qualified purchase is made through the appropriate links. (FULL DISCLAIMER)
When you hear organic, most people realize it’s probably the best choice. But do you know why your pet’s food should be organic? Here’s just a few of many reasons.
Helps Keep Your Pet Healthy Organic pet food generally contains higher-quality proteins that your pet needs to thrive. Instead of additives and growth hormones, they are more likely to have only the healthy nutrients your pet should be eating regularly. Keeping your pet healthy means he or she will probably live a much longer, happier life. It Tastes Better In order to be effective, your pet’s food has to taste good or they won’t eat it. Many pets enjoy the taste of organic foods much better than the alternative, as it’s closer to what they would eat in the wild. It’s More Cost-Effective Buying organic food now can save you money later. Healthier pets are more likely to have less vet visits and not as many health issues. You Should Know What Your Pet is Eating Organic pet food labels are often simpler to read with only all-natural ingredients. This means you can tell what your pet is getting by reading the label and avoiding hard-to-pronounce (and digest) unhealthy additives. |
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